Tensions rose between Venezuela and Guyana Tuesday as Caracas proposed a bill to declare a Venezuelan province in a disputed oil-rich region and ordered the state oil company to issue licenses for extracting crude there.

Guyana said Monday it would remain "vigilant" after Venezuelans voted overwhelmingly in favor of claiming an oil-rich border region that makes up more than two-thirds of its territory.

About 10.5 million of Venezuela's 20.7 million eligible voters took part in the consultation

Even though the voting is not binding, tensions are running high between the countries given the rhetoric by Maduro's government

A decades-old dispute over the oil-rich Essequibo territory reaches a new, potentially escalatory chapter on Sunday as Venezuela holds a referendum regarding the Guyana-controlled region.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, at least 7.7 million Venezuelans have left the country, with around 444,000 settling in Chile.

US Department of Defense officials will visit Guyana next week, the South American country's vice president said Thursday, as he pledged that "all options" are on the table in its row with neighboring Venezuela.

Venezuela has for decades laid claim to the Essequibo region which is administered by Guyana, making up more than two-thirds of its territory and home to 125,000 of its 800,000 citizens.

The EU has had sanctions against Venezuela, including an arms embargo and a travel ban and assets freeze for dozens of officials, since November 2017 -- reviewed annually.

Venezuela has for decades argued that the 160,000-square-kilometer (62,000-square-mile) region administered by Guyana should fall within its borders -- a contention that has brought the neighbors before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.

Venezuela's Supreme Court on Monday suspended the outcome of an opposition primary vote, prompting Washington to warn it would "take action" if President Nicolas Maduro's government did not meet its commitments ahead of a 2024 election.

According to data obtained by the Washington Post, authorities have seen an up to 60 percent drop since the announcement of the flights in early October

National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said the primary election was fraudulent because voters were not aware of the electoral registry and location of voting centers.

With 65 percent of ballots counted so far, Machado had won 92.6 percent of the votes, according to the commission which organized the election.

The partially counted ballot boxes (26%) showed that about 93% of votes were under Machado's name, the independent National Primary Commission said.

Venezuela's government has not officially announced the names of the freed prisoners yet.

According to the U.S. Transportation Department, the country will be deporting ''multiple" flights in a week to Venezuela.

The United States will ease some oil and gas sanctions against Venezuela after the South American country's government and opposition agreed to hold elections next year, the Treasury Department said Wednesday.

Mexico's foreign affairs secretary said in the last month alone, 60,000 Venezuelan, 35,000 Guatemalan, and 27,000 Honduran migrants reached the country.

Venezuela's government and opposition agreed in a fresh round of negotiations Tuesday that presidential elections will be held in the second half of next year, with international observers present.

Venezuela's government and opposition said Monday they will restart talks seeking to end the country's political and economic crisis, after a nearly year-long suspension.

The breakthrough was reported by the Washington Post. The deal would involve allowing competitive, internationally monitored presidential elections next year

Nicolás Maduro said Palestinian President Abbas informed him in detail about the development of events alongside "the diplomatic deployment of the Palestinian National Authority as a leadership body, committed to peace, dialogue, and respect for the agreements signed between the parties."

A Panamanian official said that over 270,000 Venezuelans have crossed the treacherous jungle passage so far this year as they seek to get to the U.S.

That is according to Bloomberg, which cited people familiar with the matter. Venezuela would have to remove a ban on all opposition candidates who want to run

The Latin Times talked with Christopher Hernandez-Roy, deputy director and senior fellow of the Americas Program at the CSIS to get his insights on the issue

Prosecutors were appointed "to issue an arrest warrant against him and to request a Red Notice from Interpol so that he pays for his crimes," Prosecutor Tarek William Saab said.

The measure comes weeks after the Biden administration granted legal status to almost half a million Venezuelan migrants.

Miguel Cabrera has a decorated career, taking home many accolades and being the first and only player to earn the Triple Crown since 1967

More than a thousand migrants rode atop a freight train to the edge of the US border Tuesday after dodging authorities on a 10-day journey through Mexico.